HC Deb 24 July 1996 vol 282 cc503-4W
Mr. Bayley

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each of the last 10 years the number of NHS doctors who (i) applied for retirement on grounds of ill health, (ii) were successful in such applications without resorting to appeal, (iii) were unsuccessful and(a) appealed and (b) were successful on appeal and (iv) retired early by staff grade; if he will estimate the annual cost of these early retirements in terms of payments made to former NHS doctors prior to their normal retirement age; and if he will make a statement on the retirement rate for NHS doctors on grounds of ill health relative to other similar professionals. [38029]

Mr. Malone

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the National Health Service Pensions Agency under its chief executive, Mr. A. F. Cowan. I have asked him to reply to the hon. Member.

Letter from A. F. Cowan to Mr. Hugh Bayley, dated 22 July 1996: The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question as it falls within my area of responsibility. The only information readily available on ill-health retirement for specific categories of NHS employees is derived from the Government Actuary's Department quinquennial valuation of the Pension Scheme. Unfortunately it does not provide a yearly breakdown. Figures in respect of doctors retiring on the grounds of ill-health are:

Doctors—early retirement due to ill-health
1985–1989 1990–1994
554 748

These statistics relate to successful applications where ill-health retirement was granted. No information is gathered about unsuccessful applications by employment type.